>>We realize this problem could be due to something else but at the moment we're focusing on the hardware because the network guys can't identify any other differences between these new workstations and the slightly older ones on which the app runs as expected in the same environment.
>
>Two options crossed my mind:
>
>- run in DosBox instead of NTVdm. True, at some points the authors of DosBox said they do this for running DOS games, not databases, but I've heard they were forced to change their mind meanwhile, by popular demand. I don't remember what the issue was, as I used it only to demo an app I wrote in 1994-5 and had mostly pathing issues (which I fixed only partly, but could have done completely), not anything memory or CPU related.
>
>- run in a DOS VM. At some point I created a couple of those, for various versions of DOS (including FreeDos), and they do work (but didn't do what I wanted, which is to read 5.25 floppies formatted to 720K). I guess mapping host disks may be required.

I did some testing with FPDOS on DOSBox in September 2014: Message#1607341

At that point it wasn't handling SMB lock mechanisms properly (or at all?) so wasn't suitable for a multiuser app. Dunno if Rick needs that or not.